1. Argumentative Essay

2. Overview What Is It? Examples Getting Started Research
Quotations & Citations

3. What is an argumentative essay?
Is like a persuasive essay
Should present pros and cons of the issue
Should contain an argument
Should contain evidence or support for the issue (facts, statistics, anecdotal evidence)
Should concern a manageable topic

4. Examples of Argumentative Topics
Selling marijuana in public places should be illegal *
Polygamy is a natural state, and should be legal *
Assisted suicide should be legal ¤
Animal testing should be illegal ¤
Graphic video games make kids aggressive and/or violent
Vistas is a better operating system than XP

5. Getting Started Picking a topic Getting organized
Something of interest to you
Something interesting
Something controversial
Something argumentative
Getting organized
Outlining your paper
Creating a keyword list
Getting research

6. General Outline of a Paper
Introduction | Thesis statement
Argument-evidence paragraph #1
Argument-evidence paragraph #2
Argument-evidence paragraph #3
Summary of Argument | Conclusion

7. Example Outline
Thesis: Beans are a more healthy source of protein than beef.
Beans are fat-free (Or, you can point out that beef is not fat-free)
Beans are low-sodium (Or, you can point out that beef is not low-sodium)
Beans are cholesterol-free (Or, you can point out that beef is not cholesterol-free)
Conclusion: Based on the facts that they are fat-free, low-sodium, and cholesterol free, beans are definitely a more healthy source of protein than beef.

8. Research
Evidence for argumentative essays can be objective – like facts, statistics, and case studies – or anecdotal – your personal experiences
Objective evidence will require research – you can use sources like books, articles, websites, and even people!

9. Research
Articles in magazines, newspapers, and journals can be found using the Library’s databases.
Books can be found using the Library’s online catalog.
Good websites can be found using engines like Google and Ask

10. Keywords
Regardless of where you seek resources – books, articles, or websites – the best way to search for resources is keyword searching
Keywords represent the most important parts of your thesis statement or argument
Before you start searching, develop a list of keywords from your argument

11. Keywords: Example
Thesis: Beans are a more healthy source of protein than beef.
Beans  legumes
Source
Healthy – health
Protein
Beef = red meat
Cholesterol
You will combine them together using AND!
Remember: you aren’t limited to the actual words from the thesis – use related words or alternate ideas! Also, look to your arguments for keywords, too – those are key ideas!

12. The Library’s Resources: Books
Katy Campus Phone (713) Fax (281)
Spring Branch Campus Phone (713) Fax (713)

13. Looking Up Books: Catalog
beans and health

14. Catalog Look! Additional keyword ideas!
The Stacks are the books that CAN be checked out. They are housed on the 2, 3, 4, and 5 floors of the Library. The first letter will help you figure out which floor.
A-F = 2nd floor
G-P = 3rd floor
Q = 4th floor
R-Z = 5th floor
Delta Stacks are in our Stacks, so no worries!

15. The Library’s Resources: Articles
Remember: to find articles, you have to check the databases!
Articles = Databases!

16. Databases by Name

17. Databases by Subject

18. Databases by Subject

19. Databases: Ebscohost

20. Databases: Ebscohost
Full-text articles in Ebsco will either be HTML, PDF, or both. If you don’t see HTML or PDF (or both), then the article is not available in full.

21. Databases: Ebscohost This will cite the article for you!
Possible keywords!
Abstracts are a summary of the article.

22. Databases: Ebscohost

23. Quotations & Citations
Quotations: when you use text from a resource in your own writing
Citations: how you acknowledge resources you’ve used in your paper

24. Quotations
Indirect Quotation: Some researchers note that "children are totally insensitive to their parent's shyness" (Zimbardo 62). Direct Quotation: Zimbardo notes that "children are totally insensitive to their parent's shyness" (62). Paraphrase: While not all children are, research has shown that some children are insensible to the introversion or timidity of their parent or parents (Zimbardo 62).

25. Citations Book Langland, William. Piers the Ploughman.
Baltimore: Penguin Books, Ltd., 1974.
Journal article
Thibodeau, P.L., and S.J. Melamut. "Ergonomics in the Electronic Library." Bulletin of the Medical Library Association 83.3 (July 1995):

26. Citations Journal article from a database
Becker, Karen. "The Characteristics of Bibliographic Instruction in Relation to the Causes and Symptoms of Burnout." RQ 32.3 (Spring 1993): EBSCO ERIC. ULM University Library, Monroe, LA. 19 May <

27. Citations Website Remember: citations are important for two reasons
Lowe, Megan. “Citations Guide: MLA Style.” Megan ULM. 8 June University of Louisiana at Monroe. 12 June 2007 <
Remember: citations are important for two reasons
They allow you to give credit where credit is due, which keeps you from plagiarism and cheating charges
Allows readers to retrace your research steps and look at the actual resources you used